A former Director at the Army Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Ayodele Ojo (retd.), has called on the Federal Government to negotiate separately with Boko Haram’s two factions.
He said it was important to do that in order to ensure the safe return of schoolgirls abducted from their school hostel in 2014.
Boko Haram had, on August 3, split with ISIS, naming Abu Musab al-Barnawi as leader of the group.
But few days later, Boko Haram Commander, Abubakar Shekau, in a video, dismissed the appointment of the new leader and insisted that he remained the true head of the terrorist group.
Shekau, in a video released recently, said the sect was ready to exchange the schoolgirls for its fighters in Federal Government’s detention.
The Federal Government was reported to be in a dilemma whether to negotiate with Shekau or al-Barnawi.
“I also commend the Federal Government for their willingness to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok girls. When you consider what the young girls and their parents have gone through in the past two years, one could understand why it is necessary for the Federal Government to negotiate for their release. The fact that Boko Haram has expressed its willingness to negotiate should be seen as a window of opportunity that should be exploited.
“The breakup of the sects into two factions should not necessarily constitute an impediment to negotiation. I suggest that the Federal Government should constitute a committee made up of seasoned and credible Nigerians to negotiate separately on its behalf with the two factions. A third party should be involved in the negotiation. This arrangement will engender trust in the negotiation and at the same time eliminates fear of non-compliance with the agreement reached,” Ojo told SUNDAY PUNCH.
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